Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Brilliant and touching

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The western is not what it once was. Remember that the first American movie (1903) was a western, "The Great Train Robbery." Not long after, heroes like Tom Mix and William S. Hart dominated the silent screen of the Old West. In 1928, "In Old Arizona" became the first talkie western. Over the next several decades, the genre continued to attract audiences. Even though the peak probably occurred in the early 1960s, the 1950s decade became the best decade of the brand, and not only because John Wayne and Randolph Scott were at their crests. In the 1959-1960 television season, no fewer than 26 westerns appeared on prime time. There had always been a major distinction of who were the good guys and the bad guys. Each had their roles, and audiences knew who was who. It should be noted that even in some earlier westerns like "Jesse James" (1939) the outlaws were given sympathetic treatment. The characters were made likable. But beginning in the mid-1960s, the format of the western changed. Revisionism and anti-westerns were the vogue as they became more cynical and darker. European westerns made an impact, and the anti-hero was born. The code of the former good guys changed: Sometimes there was little to distinguish who was good and who was bad. Unlike those well-spoken and compassionate good guy cowboys like Hart, Mix, and Gene Autry, the newer "heroes" (like Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman) were often flawed. Empathy abated, and some broke the law; a few were even murderous. Likewise, the language of the good guys turned crude. Throughout the 1970s the old-time western was obviously in decline; John Wayne's final movie was "The Shootist" in 1976. The days of "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955-1961) had long passed. Just compare "Rio Grande" (1950) or "Warpath" (1951) with "The Wild Bunch" (1969) or "Soldier Blue" (1970), or try to equate any Gene Autry western with "Cry Blood, Apache" (1970)."The Long Riders" gives us an early aspect of the post-modern western, a style that tended to choose atmosphere over form and still sometimes blurred the distinction between good and bad. The heroes may or may not be anti-heroes. So were the "protagonists" of "The Long Riders" working-class heroes or just bad guys? The answer is that they were outlaws, but not sadistic villains. The focus of "The Long Riders" is on the highlights of the James-Younger gang of the nineteenth century Midwest (not the Far West). The supporting population was mostly sympathetic to the James-Younger gang as they were looked upon as rebelling against the hated Yankees. In summary, the film highlights their train and bank robberies after the Civil War; the acceptance of danger by the James-Younger women; the Pinkerton National Detective Agency methods of hunting down the gang; the killing of John Younger by a Pinkerton detective (1874); the exploding flare thrown into the James home that maimed Jesse/Frank's mother and killed his half-brother Archie (1875); the disaster at Northfield, Minnesota that finished the Youngers and destroyed the gang (1876); and the traitorous act of Bob Ford (1882), the dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard. Four sets of real life brothers play the four historic families of the Wild West: the Keaches are the James, the Carradines are the Youngers, the Quaids are the Millers, and the Guests are the Fords. James and Stacy Keach play Jesse and Frank James, respectively; David, Keith and Robert Carradine are Cole, Jim and Bob Younger (and since there are not enough brothers, Kevin Brophy plays 4th brother John Younger, although he is a cousin in the movie) James; Dennis and Randy Quaid are Ed and Clell Miller; and Christopher and Nicholas Guest play the backstabbers Charlie and Bob Ford. Bob plugged Jesse in the back of the head as he adjusted a framed copy of the saying "God bless our home." Actually Jesse was just dusting the picture. The movie does some romanticizing of the gang, although the early murderous act of Ed Miller is portrayed brutally. Then again, Jesse dismisses Miller for his action against an innocent civilian. What ultimately makes the movie watchable is its favorable aspects. These positives include the (already explained) imaginative casting, top-notch acting, remarkable period detail, outstanding editing, and great photography. But also note there is violence and that the history is not always accurate (like the confrontation between Cole Younger and Sam Starr that never happened). Then again it is accurate enough. For instance, the gang did wear dusters at Northfield and Frank James did turn himself in to the law; he was later acquitted.

I love how the makers of this movie use sets of 'American brothers in real life' to depict sets of 'American brothers in real-old American history!'David, Keith, and, Robert Carradine portray the Younger Brothers; James and Stacy Keach portray the James Brothers; Dennis and Randy Quaid portray the Miller Brothers; and, Christopher and Nicholas Guest portray the Ford Brothers - great casting!This is an excellent movie from start to finish! The acting is excellent...as is the direction; the music; the sets; the settings and scenery; the costumes; etc., and, especially the action - the action is exemplary!"The Long Riders" is directed by Walter Hill ("The Warriors"), who is a protégé of the exUS Marine "Master Director" of movie-war, -battle, and, -violence...Sam Peckinpah; and, he obviously learned a lot!This is a great movie if you're into extreme and realistic westerns such as "The Wild Bunch" and, "Tombstone."I highly recommend this movie to those whom are! :)

"The Long Riders" is yet another saga of the life and times of legendary outlaw Jesse James and his gang. Director Walter Hill gives us a visually stunning authentic looking ultra violent western.What sets this one apart is the playing of the various historical brothers by actual brothers. James and Stacy Keach play Jesse and Frank James, David, Keith and Robert Carradine play the Younger Brothers (Cole, Jim and Bob respectively), Dennis and Randy Quaid are Ed and Clell Miller and Christopher and Nicholas Guest, Charlie and Bob Ford.The film gives us a sample of the James Gang's repertoire through a bank robbery to a train robbery to a stage coach hold up ( with a delightful bit by Harry Carey Jr.), to their final caper, an attempted bank robbery in Northfield Minnesota complete with bloody Peckinpah-ish slow motion bloody violence. It also covers Jesse's courting of his wife and Cole Younger's "relationship" with saloon gal Belle Starr whose husband Sam Starr (James Remar) takes exception.As mentioned, Director Hill gives the film an authentic post civil war look. The color photography is excellent and the costumes and set pieces realistic.As a final note, I have to point out the scene within a bank hold-up where James Keach as Jesse is standing stone faced with both guns drawn looking every bit like a cross between William S. Hart and Buster Keaton. I got, I am sure, an unintended chuckle out of that one.

After the Civil War, the James-Younger gang commits a series of daring robberies of banks and trains in and around Missouri. The Pinkerton Detective Agency is called in to try and deal with these notorious outlaws.I love this western for many different reasons. Chief amongst them is simply that it looks and sounds gorgeous, full of authentic period detail, beautiful costumes, rich traditional music and expertly staged action. I also love the cast, all of whom are tremendous; some may dismiss the idea of casting four sets of real life brothers, but it works beautifully because they are all great players. David Carradine and Stacey Keach as Cole Younger and Frank James in particular are two of the few actors I can think of who could pull off these larger-than-life roles and not look ridiculous. Everyone is great though and special mention has to go to Reed as Belle Starr, who sizzles up the screen and matches the machismo shot for shot. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of it though is its detached political stance - one view of Jesse James is as a heroic fighter who refused to bow to the North and stole from wealthy Yankee businessmen, whilst he and the gang can just as easily be labelled as bigoted cut-throats and killers. The movie doesn't preach either way, but it does emphasise the protagonists' army bushwacker pasts and their sense of disbelief and resentment at the Confederate defeat, whilst making no apologies for their actions. This tension builds towards the excellent finale at the infamous disastrous bank raid in Northfield, where I'm caught between satisfaction that the bandits have finally met their comeuppance and sheer horror as they are trapped and shot to pieces. The slow-motion sequence with the horses jumping through the windows as they desperately try to escape is one of the most powerful and visually arresting moments in all western cinema. The movie was obviously a labour of love for director Hill and co-writer/co-producer/star James Keach, and they've created a rich, mythic depiction of the end of the Old West, balancing the traditional gunfights and saloon scenes with pensive moments, square dances and rural landscapes. Its trump card is the fabulous music by Ry Cooder, which mixes a contemporary score with period instruments, traditional songs and moody interludes and enhances all the key sequences, becoming an integral part of the story (the Rally 'Round The Flag recital the boys object to, Jim and Bob singing and playing the Jewish Harp on the train) and completely immersing the viewer in 1870's America. A sensational and thrilling western, not to be missed, for both the tremendous direction and the pleasure of watching the Carradine, Keach, Quaid and Guest brothers in action. For other cinematic versions of the James-Younger gang's exploits, check out Nicholas Ray's 1957 The True Story Of Jesse James or Philip Kaufman's 1972 The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid.